Christophe Michel

Three generations have run the estate in Verzy, and the vines lie entirely within the commune, which belongs to the Montagne de Reims and is classified as Grand Cru. Christophe Michel has run the estate since 1994. He is a grower who makes and sells his own wines. The address is 26 Rue de Beaumont.

Vines and approach

The estate farms 6 hectares of vines, spread across around sixty plots. The Hachette wine guide gives the figure as 63 plots. This variety supplies blends that are marked by contrasts and complementary qualities. All the cuvées are made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, grown exclusively in Verzy. The farming is traditional and increasingly follows "viticulture raisonnée", a controlled, environmentally considerate approach to growing. One example is the grass cover between the vine rows, which, according to the grower, is in place on most of the vineyard area. Organic certification is not documented.

The cuvées

• Brut Grand Cru: the historic cuvée of the house, a blend of the vintage with 30 per cent reserve wines.
• Brut Rosé: also contains 30 per cent reserve wines, plus 15 per cent Coteaux Champenois.
• Blanc de Blancs: made from Chardonnay only.
• Blanc de Noirs: pressed from Pinot Noir alone and intended to show the typicity of the Verzy terroir.
• Brut 63: the name refers to the estate's plots. The cuvée is two thirds Pinot Noir and one third Chardonnay and did not go through malolactic fermentation. Hachette gives 5,000 bottles for the edition it tasted.

A particular feature is the single-plot cuvée "Les Buissons". It comes from one parcel of 26 ares, planted in 1974 with 50 per cent Pinot Noir and 50 per cent Chardonnay, and sits halfway up the slope in the Grand Cru area of Verzy. According to the grower, his grandfather planted it. At pressing, grape variety and plot are tracked separately.

Billy-le-Grand

Visits and tastings

For tastings and cellar visits, you can make a request directly to the estate. A visit shows how a Grand Cru champagne is made from the inside, photos are allowed, and the grower answers questions himself. You can reach the estate by phone on 03.26.97.94.58 (from the UK, +33 3 26 97 94 58). Christophe Michel is also president of the Amicale de la Saint Vincent in Verzy, which organises the village's winegrowers' festival.